A family support group in Solihull has blasted the borough council for not involving parents from disadvantaged backgrounds in its new three-year plan.
North Solihull Additional Needs Support Group (NSANSG) says the draft Additional Needs Strategy published last week by Solihull Council only represents the views of a "minority" as they say the initial consultation was "inaccessible" to deprived families without access to a computer.
It comes a month after Solihull councillor Angela Sandison was suspended from the Conservative party and apologised after she questioned whether autism was being “over-diagnosed” and suggested some mothers are too often “on their phone”.
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The Additional Needs Strategy aims to set out the council's plans for helping young people with additional needs over the next three years and is now out for formal consultation.
It outlines the steps local bodies are already taking to improve support - including monthly meetings with education, care and health services and the launch of parent and children's group Our Voice’s Heard - as well as changes parents want to see in future.
The council sent out an engagement survey to gather views over the summer, however NSANSG has accused this of being "inaccessible" to some parents - particularly in the north of the borough where there are more low income families.
Sajida Golby, who set up NSANSG in 2016, said: "We have 1,300 parents in our group. We should have been a part of this plan from the onset.
"It just shows there is such a massive divide between north and south in Solihull. It's scary.
"We have a high level of children from poverty backgrounds and some really vulnerable families.
"Just because these people can't access IT or can't attend meetings because of their mental health, it does not mean their voices shouldn't be counted.
"What comes to light when we speak to parents from the north of the borough is that they don't feel represented. They feel they are not heard and they feel that it is like a postcode lottery."
Responding to the council's draft strategy, Sajida said: "Parents have commented on the NSANSG that sadly the Solihull Council draft joint Additional Needs Strategy doesn’t resemble a strategy in their views.
"There are no outcomes, SMART targets [used to ensure children are meeting their goals] and nothing in there that gives families the assurance that all views will or have been heard or that it has been coproduced.
"If they want true coproduction, involve us from onset. Invite us to be around the table, not distribute a strategy that the majority have had no involvement in producing or can relate to sadly.
"We have had decades of strategies and policies being produced which are not fit for purpose. Things must change to ensure equality for all."
Nikki Burden, from north Solihull, who has three children with autism, said cutting down wait times for assessments should be a priority in any future plan.
She told Birmingham Live : "The waiting times are not ideal, especially when you've got a family in crisis. They say you don't need a diagnosis to get support, but then you don't really get support unless you've got a diagnosis.
"It's just really difficult for parents. We are experts on our children and when we're saying something is not okay with our child, nine times out of 10 we know what will help - but parents don't feel listened to."
Solihull Council said it had been meeting with parents and support groups over the course of the past year - including NSANSG - to gather feedback to inform the strategy.
A council spokesperson said: "On Friday, October 22, we launched a consultation on our draft Additional Needs Strategy which sets out our proposed plan for supporting children and young people aged 0-25 years with special educational needs and additional needs.
"This is not autism specific but the proposed plans aim to improve outcomes for all children with additional needs, including autism.
"In preparing the draft strategy we have been working closely with children, young people and their parent carers to ensure the strategy meets the needs of those affected.
"We are currently publicising the consultation and would encourage all children, young people and their parent carers to respond to help shape the future in Solihull.
"The NSANSG have been sent the consultation details, including an online survey link, and have been asked to share it with their members – as have other groups supporting families in Solihull.
"The consultation can be found here. Our aim is to launch the Additional Needs Strategy in January 2022."
The council went on to say: "The proposed strategy has been developed with children and young people in mind.
"We want to change the way we work in Solihull and that means turning what would be a traditional strategy into something which is meaningful for children and young people – so they can clearly see what we are committing to doing over the next three years, and can see what we are planning to do in response to what they have told us already.
"We have been engaging with parent carers over the past year, including meeting with support groups like NSANSG, to gather feedback to inform this strategy.
"A further engagement survey took place over the summer to gain additional views which was also shared with support groups.
"Solihull Parent Carer Voice is our strategic parent carer forum who have been fully involved in co-producing this strategy as the voice of parents. We are now undertaking a formal consultation exercise to seek views on the final strategy itself."
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